Kenya Farmers Call on Britain to Reverse Khat Ban

肯尼亚农民呼吁英国取消阿拉伯茶禁令

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语慢速英语农业报道。

Kenyan farmers say a British ban on the plant known as khat will seriously affect their business and economy. Exports of khat, also called "miraa" are worth big money to Kenya. The farmers have exported the plant mainly to Britain, other European countries and Somalia.

肯尼亚农民表示，英国对阿拉伯茶（khat，又名咖特）的禁令严重影响到了他们的生意和经济。阿拉伯茶也被成为米拉茶（miraa），它的出口是肯尼亚的一大笔财富。农民们主要将它出口到英国、欧洲其它国家以及索马里。

Khat is growing in the colder climates of central Kenya. For years, people have been using it as a drug, biting on the leaves of the plant, can increase the heart beat and make the person feel more awake.

阿拉伯茶生长在肯尼亚中部的寒冷气候条件下。人们多年来一直把它作为药物，咀嚼它的叶子可以加快心跳，并使人感觉更加清醒。

Some Kenyan politicians and khat traders have called on the government to open talks with British officials to convince them to cancel the ban on khat. They say ending the ban would save Kenya's khat industry from collapse.

一些肯尼亚政客和阿拉伯茶贸易商呼吁政府同英国官员展开会谈，说服他们取消对阿拉伯茶的禁令。他们表示，取消这一禁令能够拯救阿拉伯茶叶免于崩溃。

Kipkorir Menjo is the director of the Kenya Farmers Association, he says the ban will affect tens of thousands of people.

Kipkorir Menjo是肯尼亚农民协会的负责人。他表示，这一禁令会影响到数万人。

"The miraa industry is going to face a serious challenge because they are people in the supply chain, the farmers who are planting the crop, fellows who have been distributing, fellows who have been exporting. The whole industry is likely to collapse because this is a major market which has been earning this people good money, of course also earning the country foreign exchange."

他说，“阿拉伯茶行业将面临严峻挑战，因为阿拉伯茶的种植者、分销者和出口者都在这一供应链上。这整个行业都可能会崩溃，因为这一直是个让人赚大钱的重要市场，当然它也给国家赚来了外汇。”

Earlier this month, British Home Secretary Theresa May banned the leafy stimulant. She warned that traders could use Britain to move khat illegally to other European countries.

本月早些时候，英国内政大臣特里萨·梅（Theresa May）禁止了这一叶类兴奋剂。她警告说，贸易商可能会利用英国非法向欧洲其它国家转运阿拉伯茶。

Jephat Muroko is the head of the Global Miraa Industry Dealers Network, he says the British's decision was made for political reasons.

Jephat Muroko是全球阿拉伯茶业经销商网络的负责人。他表示英国的决定是出于政治原因。

"To me it's a pure politics, and not only politics but also oppressive to the miraa industry traders. I think it's part of the consequences. But I wonder about our government, why it's quiet about this thing."

他说，“对我来说这完全是政治，不仅是政治，还是对阿拉伯茶叶贸易商的压迫。我认为这是原因之一。但我不知道为什么我们的政府对此保持沉默。”

Khat is already banned in most European countries, including France, Germany, and Netherlands. Kenyan traders exported about 20 tons of khat to the Netherlands weekly before the ban. Another 36 tons a week were sent to Britain.

阿拉伯茶已被多数欧洲国家所禁止，包括法国、德国和荷兰。在禁令之前，肯尼亚贸易商每周出口20吨阿拉伯茶到荷兰，还有36吨出口到英国。

Kipkorir Menjo says khat farmers and traders need to start speaking up, so that Britain can lift the ban. If their efforts fail, he says, they will have to start planting other crops to earn money.

Kipkorir Menjo表示，阿拉伯茶贸易商需要开始游说让英国解除这一禁令。如果他们的努力失败了，他们就不得不开始种植其它作物来赚钱。

"If there will be no headway then they will have to think for other options, but I think for now I don't want to conclude that nobody will listen to them. Hopefully they will get some way out, but if it's not possible they will have to think some other ways of getting their livelihood."

他说，“如果这一切毫无进展，他们就不得不考虑其它选择。但目前我不想一口咬定没人会听取他们的意见。希望他们能找到解决办法，否则他们就必须考虑其它途径维持生计。”

As the farmers and traders study the latest development from Europe, another battle awaits them inside Kenya: The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse is urging the government to list khat as an illegal drug.

在农民和贸易商研究来自欧洲的最新事态进展时，肯尼亚国内又有一场斗争在等待着他们：肯尼亚酒精和药物滥用主管部门正督促政府将阿拉伯茶列为非法药品。